Peace in the house that welcomes – Feast of Gratitude 2023

Bogotá (Colombia). The Provinces of Colombia, the land in which the World Day of Gratitude 2023, will take place on 26 April 2023 in Bogota, on the website www.festadelgrazie.org, make available to the FMA Communities and Educating Communities an itinerary to prepare for the event.

After the first week, from 26 March to 5 April, on the theme “Peace in the inner home”, which recalls the Salesian reference to the origin of the “Ave Maria for peace in the home” introduced in the FMA Institute in July 1875, the SECOND STAGE, with ecclesial illumination, has the theme:

WITH MARY WE GENERATE A CULTURE OF PEACE IN THE HOME THAT WELCOMES

Today more than ever, the world thirsts for peace. However, we know that this peace is born of a reconciled heart inhabited by God; it is born of a common effort. As Pope Francis says, “it is together, in fraternity and solidarity, that we build peace, guarantee justice, overcome the most painful events. […] Only the peace that comes from fraternal and selfless love can help us overcome personal, social, and global crises”.

In addition to the grateful prayer for Mother Chiara, the gesture proposed for this second stage is that of taking a concrete step of reconciliation and fraternity with the sisters of one’s community.

A video helps to enter into the theme of the week, bringing out the qualities and values that some witnesses appreciate in their own family or community environment, where one is called to be builders of peace.

The texts available on the site can offer ideas for communities to experience, during the week, celebratory or formation moments in preparation for the Feast.

In all the Provinces a special Entrustment to Mary is being prayed, available in resources of the site in five languages.

The collection of images of the Gesture of peace continues: the Provinces of the world, invited to share with Mother Chiara and with the whole Institute the commitment to generate a culture of peace, are asked to send the photograph with the caption expressing the actions or how they are contributing to building peace. Each gestures of peace is visible on the Feast website.